Authorities conducted a major crackdown during Ramzan targeting illegal Afghan nationals living in Islamabad and other areas of Pakistan without valid documentation.
The effort involved thousands of security personnel and took place in several cities, including the federal capital.
Officials said police, the Pakistan Rangers, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and intelligence agencies carried out search and combing operations in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal.
Security around mosques was also tightened during the religious month.
Large-scale operations in multiple cities
More than 2,000 personnel were mobilised in the joint crackdown, as per Express News.
In Jhelum’s Dinah area, teams searched 25 houses late at night, checked 62 people and fully profiled 18 residents, they said.
In Islamabad’s Tarnol district, dozens of places were investigated. 16 illegal Afghanis, along with 51 suspects, were arrested by the forces.
In Attock, simultaneous operations took place at five locations.
In Chakwal, 47 houses, shops and vehicles were examined, and documents of 98 people were checked. Police said female officers also took part in the operation.
Security agencies said surveillance had been increased in neighbouring Murree as well.
They added that the search and combing efforts would continue to help maintain law and order and address illegal activity.
Authorities emphasised that people residing legally in Pakistan would not be harassed and that the state’s authority would be upheld.
Background to broader policy
The crackdown in Ramzan is part of a wider national policy to address the presence of Afghan nationals living without valid visas in Pakistan.
In October 2023, the government introduced the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, aiming to remove undocumented foreign residents, particularly Afghan nationals.
Under this plan, undocumented Afghans and those holding certain government-issued identification cards were given deadlines to leave Pakistan or face deportation.
By mid-2025, authorities had pressed ahead with the repatriation campaign, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans had returned to Afghanistan or been sent back through official deportation procedures.
Official figures indicate that nearly two million Afghan nationals have been repatriated since 2023, including more than 150,000 from Punjab province alone.
Authorities said that they enforced the policy in line with national immigration laws, and that Afghan citizens with valid visas may stay in the state and work within the legal framework.
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